Treating-table.



C. W. ALBRIGHT.

TREATING TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED FEILI. I9Ia.

L21 MIMI Patented .Ian.23,1917.

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APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1.19l3.

L21 S?, Patented Jan. 23,' 1917.

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C. W. ALBRIGHT.

TREATING TABLE.

APPLICATION m50 ri. l. 1913.

Patented Jan. 23, 1917.

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C. W. ALBRIGHT.

TREATING TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. l. |913.

vCHJESIEIER WARE ALBRIGI-IT, 0F EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, .ASSIGNOR TO THE C. W. ALBRIGI-I'l COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TREATING- TABLE.

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Application filed February 1, 1913.

T 0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CHESTER W. AL- BRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Evanston, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in vTreating-Tables, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object to produce a treating table which will enable the physician, without the use of swings or other appliances, to loosen and to adjust the spines of patients ina simple and easy manner; produce several movements and combination of movements throughout the entire lumbar and dorsal regions of the spine; and to swing the spine, in the manner desired, of aged persons, fleshy individuals, cripples, rheumatics and others who cannot now be treated satisfactorily with the appliances available; all of the various manipulations being effected while the patients muscles are perfectly relaxed and without irritating the patients muscles, knees and other parts.

Viewed in one of its aspects, my invention may be regarded as relating to the table described and claimed in my Patent No. 1,076,475, issued Cot. 21, 1913, and as having as its specific object to simplify and improve the construction of the table disclosed in said application, widen the field of use and make the operation of the table more simple and convenient.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will herein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a table arranged in accordance with a preferred form of my invention; Fig. 2 is an end view looking from the left hand side of Fig. 1 with the head rest removed; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the table; Fig. 4 is a top plan view; Fig. 5 is a top plan view Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented dan. 23, 1917.

Serial No. 745,552.

of the table with certain of the sections of the table top removed; Fig. 6 is an end view looking toward the left from the right hand end of Fig. l; Fig. 7 is a section on an enlarged scale approximately on line 7-7 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 8 is an end view of a fragment of the table, showing the mechanism for raising and lowering the vertically swinging leaf section.

Referring to the drawings, l represents a suitable frame structure having legs or standards, 9., the frame structure beingadapted to support the table top which I shall hereinafter describe. Mounted upon and preferably covering the frame is a stationary table top suitably upholstered. If desired, this member may be made in one piece rigidly secured to the frame. In treating a patient, it is often desirable to relieve parts of the body from friction or pressure and therefore I prefer to provide the stationary top, 3, with removable sections; two of such sections, 4 and 5, being illustrated. The section 4 is arranged at one end of the table and, when removed, leaves an opening or depression extending along the longitudinal center at that end of the table. The section o extends transversely across the table between the ends of the stationary leaf and, when removed, leaves an opening or depression correspondinglysituated. The end of the stationary top section or leaf of tbe table opposite that at which the removable section 4 is located is cut away as indicated at 6 so as to have its edge curved in the arc of a circle whose diameter is approximately the width of the table.

Cooperating with the stationary leaf is a swinging leaf, 7, having one end shaped to fit the concave end, 6, of the stationary leaf as indicated at 8. Where the stationary leaf extends substantially the entire length of the main frame of the table, as shown, the swinging leaf, except at its curved end, overhangs or extends outwardly beyond the frame of the table. In order to prevent the table from beingV overbalanced when an undue weight is placed on the overhanging leaf, an auxiliary leg may be provided, this leg being conveniently made of a small standard, 9, adapted to rest on the floor and having two upwardly and laterallyextending arms, 10, which are adapted to 60 the' rack bar.

be secured to two of the legs of the table so as to bring the standard well out underneath the overhanging leaf.

In the main, the swinging leaf is the same 5 as the swinging leaf in my aforesaid application. However, in the construction shown in that application there is no provision for raising and lowering the swinging leaf and, since it is sometimes desirable to have this leaf arranged at an angle to the plane of the stationary leaf, in treating a patient, the present invention contemplates a simple and convenient arrangement which permits the swinging leaf to be adjusted in the vertical direction without weakening the same or making it less convenient anduseful as a simple swinging leaf. The swinging leaf is mounted on vasuitable turn table, 11, carried by the frame of the table, this turn table containing, if desired, a series of balls, 1Q,

which will give a firm support while permitting the swinging leaf to be swung about -a verticalV axis without encountering frictional resistance. rI`he axis of the turn table passes through the center of the arc on which the edges G and S of the stationary and the swinging leaf, respectively, are struck, so that these two edges may be brought quite close together and leave practically no crack or opening between them.

The swinging leaf is divided, at least in part, into two pieces along a horizontal plane, the upper part, 13, at the outer end of the leaf being hinged as indicated at 14 so as to swing about an axis at right angles tothe pivotal axis of the leaf as a whole and preferably lying in a vertical transverse plane containing such pivotal axis. This larrangement permits the outer, upper portion of the swinging` leaf to be raised and lowered without interfering in any way with the angular movement of the leaf as a whole about its vertical axis.

In the arrangement shown, the position of the leaf member 13 is controlled by a rack bar, 15, pivotally connected at one end, as at 16, to the under side of this leaf section and passing down through the lower-half of the leaf 7. On the under side of the lower half of the leaf 7 is mounted a transverse shaft, 17, this shaft being conveniently journaled in a series of brackets, 18, and having handles, 19, on the ends thereof, namely at the sides of the table, these 575 handles serving as means for turning the that by turning the shaft 17 by means of one of the handles, a rotary movement is imparted to the worm 22 and consequently the rack bar is given an endwise movement, Therefore by turning one of the handles 19 in one direction or the other, the verticallyv` swinging leaf section of the table may be raised or lowered, as desired. The mechanism for operating the rack bar is self-lock ing, that is a downward thrust on the vertically-swinging leaf section will be effectually resisted by the worm, so that no additional locking means is required.

I have found that it is sometimes desirable in tables of this kind, to keep the person of the patient out of contact with the inner semi-circular part of the swinging leaf and therefore, in order that this may be done, I have continued the horizontal division of the swinging` leaf through the semicircular inner end, thus providing this end with a detachable top section, 30, which may be removed when desired. In the arrange-- ment shown, the movable section 30 is provided with dowel pins, 31, adapted to lit .in openings 32 in the lower half of the leaf; this arrangement preventingaccidental dis placement of the removable leaf section and at the same time permitting the removable leaf section to be lifted out radially.

The swinging leaf may be provided ou its under side with suitable spring buffers, 35. which strike against the stationair;7 frame of the table when the swinging leaf is at the extreme limits of its angular movement and thus serve as yieldablo cushions which prevent the leaf from stopping suddenly with a jar or shock.

For locking the swinging leaf in any desired angular poistion relative to its vertical pivotal axis, I have secured on the under side thereof two curved tracks, 36, concentric with the vertical pivotal axis. On the frame of the table are secured brackets, 37, provided with clamping jaws, 38, which are adapted to grip the tracks and thus lock the swinging leaf against movement about its vertical axis. rIhe clamping devices are provided with suitable handles, 39, for actuating them. I prefer to arrange a clamp ing device on each side of the table so that a person standing on either side of the table may readily lock or unlock the swinging leaf.

On the under side of the swinging leaf. at opposite sides of the table, are hooks, l0. each hinged at one end to the leaf as indicated at 41 so as to be movable about a vertical axis. Normally the hooks are swung in beneath the table so as to be out of the way but either of them may be moved out to serve as a thigh-engaging member by which the swinging leaf may be shifted.

If desired, a movable head rest may be placed at either end or each end ofthe table. In the arrangement shown there is a head rest at each end. Each of thesehead rests consists of an upholstered member, 45, fixed upon the end of an arm, 46, which is hinged to the table. In the arrangement shown, the arm 46 at one end of the table is hinged to the extreme end of the lower half of the swinging leaf as indicated at 47, while the arm at the other end of thc table is hinged to the frame as indicated at 48. Beneath each of the arms 46 is independently hinged a bar, 49, h aving teeth, 50, on its under edge. @n each arm, or on the upholstered member 45 carried thereby, is a loop or yoke, 5l, which surrounds the adjacent toothed bar. Normally, the parts of the head rests hang down as indicated at the right hand end of F ig. l, but when the upholstered member is lifted, the yoke 5l lifts the toothed bar, riding over the ratchet teeth and finally coming to rest and in engagement with one of the teeth, depending upon the height to which the upholstered member is raised. In such position the parts are locked raised and cannot be pressed down by imposing a weight on the head rest. To drop the head rest, it is simply necessary to lift the free end of the toothed bar so as to bring the teeth clear of the cross member of the yoke. I have stated that each head rest, proper, is supported on an arm. While this arrangement is satisfactory I prefer to have two arms for each head rest, one at each end, and to place the toothed bar at about the middle.

If desired, a leg rest may be placed at either or both ends of the table. In the arrangement shown, there is a leg rest, 60, of any usual construction detachably connected to the vertically-swinging section 13 of the swinging leaf of the table; the leg rest having two parallel bars, 61, which slide into suitable guides or ways in or on the leaf section.

It will thus be seen that I have produced a table having a great many adjustments, it being capable of being used as a table having a continuous fiat stationary top; as a table having a continuous stationary leaf and a leaf capable of being swung about a vertical axis while occupying either a horizontal position or a vertically-inclined position; as a table having any one or all of the sections 4, 5 and 30 removed.; or as a table having a head rest at either or both ends or a head rest at one end and a leg rest at the other end. the head rests serving to give an added length to the table whenever desired and constituting in effect additional leaves. It will also be seen that my improved table, notwithstanding the variety of diderent aspects which it may assume, is always firm and stable, and may be quickly and conveniently adjusted and, where it is desired to move the swinging leaf back and forth, this may be done in a convenient way and with small effort.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which fall within the terms employed in the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A treating table having its top composed of a stationary portion and a leaf pivoted to swing about a vertical axis, and an auxiliary leaf mounted on said swinging leaf for movements about a horizontal axis intersecting the aforesaid axis.

2. A treating table having its top composed of a stationary leaf and a swinging leaf arranged in one end of the stationary leaf, and said stationary leaf having a removable central section arranged at the opposite end".

8. A treating table having its top composed of a stationary leaf and a swinging leaf arranged in one end of the stationary leaf, said stationary leaf having a removable central section arranged at the opposite end and a transverse removable section between its ends.

4. A treating table having its top composed of a stationary leaf and a swinging leaf arranged adjacent to the stationary leaf, said swinging leaf having a removable section in proximity to the stationary leaf.

5. A treating table having a stationary leaf and a leaf mounted to swing about a vertical axis, and a thigh-engaging hook movably mounted on the under side of the swinging leaf so as to be capable of occupying a position in which it is concealed under the swinging leaf and also in an operative position in which it projects beyond the swinging leaf.

6. A treating table having a stationary leaf and a swinging leaf, curved tracks on the under side of the swinging leaf, and clamps mounted at opposite sides of the table in position to engage with said tracks to lock the swinging leaf against movement.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specifi-i cation in the presence of two witnesses.

CHESTER WARE ALBRIGIIT.

Witnesses:

WM. F. FREUDENREICH, RUTH E. ZETTERVALL.

@epica ci this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

l Washington. D. C. 

